Vengeance
by BloodFromTheThorn
Summary: THOR 2 SPOILERS - Loki wasn't much given to outward displays of emotion but this... this was all too much.


_**THOR 2 SPOILERS THOR 2 SPOILERS THOR 2 SPOILERS**_

_**Dialogue is not exact - I only saw it once and my memory is not perfect. I did the best I could.**_

_**EDIT: Saw Thor a second time and made some changes to the dialogue to get it closer. Still imperfect.**_

* * *

Loki hadn't lost control like this in years. Magic was pouring out of every inch of him, sharp and angry with every desire to break, to burn, to crush everything into dust until there was nothing left in that accursed cell and his grief was quieted. Frigga - the one person in all the nine realms that he still considered family - was gone. Gone because he'd been trapped here by his so-called father and hadn't been at her side to protect her. If he ever found his way out of these four walls, he'd make sure Odin suffered for this.

What was worse was that he had not been permitted the chance to attend the funeral, or even see her one last time. She had been stolen from him and he was unable to say goodbye, to thank for everything he should have before, when he'd thought there would still be time. Frigga was absolute, unwavering - she'd always come back for him no matter how far he had strayed. And now she was gone.

He wasn't really aware of his surroundings, not caring for the outside world that couldn't see him anyway - his illusions were second nature to him now, not that it mattered. No one was there. No one was left on Asgard now that had any desire to speak with him. For the first time, he was truly alone.

It wasn't until sometime later that he came back to himself, drawing away from the numbness to inhabit himself again. His cheeks were wet with tears he didn't remember crying and he was bleeding - hands and feet both scraped raw as though he had been clawing at broken glass. His coat was gone too, maybe fried with his magic. He cared not - it had meant nothing to him.

His illusion was still thrumming in the back of his mind, a vaguely reassuring presence that acted as a shield between him and the confines of his cell. Frigga had been the only one who had seen past the illusions every time, seeing straight into his heart with the eyes of the mother she was. He'd not called her that with any sincerity for two years now, let her die thinking that his pride was stronger than his love for her and it burned in his gut to think that she might have believed he hated her.

But she'd known better of course. She knew how he felt about her and she'd never have thought such darkness about one she still considered her son. Would she?

Loki was not one given to sentiment but just this once he'd allow himself the release. His mother was dead - he'd give himself time to mourn.

Of course, if only Thor would be so courteous.

When his brother appeared in front of the barrier, Loki actually jumped with surprise and a little embarrassment before he realised that Thor couldn't actually see him. The blond god stared at the shadow for a long moment, eyes narrowed and cold before he sighed tiredly.

"Enough Loki. No more illusions."

So Thor had learned to see through him at last. Better late than never, he supposed. It took him a moment to weigh up the options but he had no desire to argue with the brute now - he just wanted him gone so he could rest and rebuild the walls Frigga's death had torn down. The illusion burned away with a brief flash of power.

"Now you see me brother."

Thor's eyes landed on him after moment of observing the wreck that was his cell, taking in his dishevelled appearance without pity or surprise. In fact, his whole face was entirely blank, as though the person in front of him was nothing to him, a stranger he'd never met - certainly not the man he'd once called brother. It stung Loki in a way he'd thought he was beyond feeling. He'd always assumed that Thor and he would forever be in the balance of love and loathing, burning with hatred but still tied by the familiarity of years spent in kinship. It would seem that none of Loki's ideas of permanence would last the night.

"Did she suffer?" The guard who had delivered the news had not lingered for such questions, and Loki had not been in a state to ask them but now they prayed on the edges of his mind like hounds. Dreams and nightmares about what might have been done to her.

"I did not come here to share in our grief," Thor replied instantly, his voice cold. Not entirely unemotional then, just putting on a brave face. But there was nothing there hatred - for him or Malekith, it was hard to tell. Perhaps both. "I come to offer you something of a far richer sacrament."

The way he said the words made it clear that such a gift would not be given freely - Thor was asking for his help.

Of course. There was no other reason that would draw anyone to his side other than to express their disgust or hatred. Whatever he had done in the past, he was still a powerful sorcerer and knew more about the nine realms than most - a source of information to be tapped, provided you had something to trade for it. And that, Thor had.

A promise of freedom - sincere or not was to be decided - and the chance at revenge. The sweetest deal he'd ever been offered and he barely even thought about it before he accepted. Thor's words were burning at him, the knowledge that the elder man had lost all hope of their reunion was bitter. If Thor no longer believed in him then who was there?

Frigga's death had been the final nail in his coffin, he realised abruptly. Now there was no soul in the nine realms that would ever see him as anything other than a monster and that would be how he'd be known for the rest of his days. Thor could free him of his cell but he was a criminal, and he always would be in the eyes of those that mattered.

And so he helped Thor because it would get him what he wanted - the only thing he wanted: revenge. He even let his brother slip the chains back over his wrists to give him comfort (as if the oaf could outsmart him). It meant nothing. When the time came, Thor would have no choice to remove them again, or risk Loki getting killed while defenceless.

Tricking Malekith was easy enough - his overconfidence would be his downfall, of that Loki had no doubt. Then everything had blown up - literally - and before he even knew what was happening, Loki was pushing Jane out the way of a warp grenade and getting dragged back into it. There was the briefest of moments when he was back two years ago, watching as Thor and the bifrost fell away from him with cries in his ears and then a weight slammed into his side, sending him sprawling.

Thor looked back at him, as though he was as surprised as Loki was. He hadn't fallen this time. This time, Thor had been able to save him. If there'd been time to consider it, Loki would have found it poetic.

But of course, Malekith was getting away and the elves were closing in. Loki took them down without even breaking a sweat, hands steady and sure as he sliced and punched and kicked. It was nice to use his fists just this once, instead of his magic. There was a certain liberation in feeling bones break under his palms and knowing that the ones who had taken his mother from him were suffering.

When he looked back at his brother, he was greeted by the sight of the beast hovering over him, ready for the kill. Loki moved without thinking, without planning and he should have known something would go wrong because it always did when he acted without thought and _oh god is this what dying feels like? _He could feel the ice of steel between his ribs, plunging all the way down to his faltering heart and in a moment he knew that this would kill him. God or not, he could still die. Like Frigga.

At least he'd get to see her again soon.

The hands on his shoulders forced him backwards, the barb tearing free of his flesh with a sickening sound and then he was falling, hands reaching the grenade just in time to activate it. Blood was flooding through his fingers, warm and thick, even while his magic leapt to the surface and clamped around the wound.

"See you in Hel, monster," he spat, watching with vengeful glee as the creature realised what he had done.

Thor was shouting something but Loki's hearing was fading in and out and he couldn't make out the words. He thought he heard his name in there somewhere. Just like the last time he died. He could feel his magic trying to heal the wound, knit the flesh together again but he knew that it wouldn't be enough. Grey death was creeping through his limbs, well beyond his control.

A figure appeared above him, gripping him and hauling him painfully from the ground. His own paling hands fluttered helplessly over the gaping wound as though he could do something to stop his life force from escaping.

"Oh, you fool," Thor cursed him softly, his voice breaking into pieces that ripped through them both. "You didn't listen."

He hadn't realised he was speaking until he heard his own breathless voice spilling the words, a litany of broken apologies for everything he couldn't say. And he truly was sorry - this wasn't supposed to happen. Thor hushed him and held him and was every inch the brother he had been as a child. There was no space for past actions or grudges in that moment and for now, all that could be forgotten.

"I'll tell Father what you did here today," Thor promised and his voice was bleeding grief. He'd lost half his family in three days and now he would be left with just another corpse, helpless and hopeless.

"I didn't do it for him." Loki didn't have the strength to finish the sentence but it was true none the less. He'd looked at Thor, defenceless against that creature and had seen a brother; something had shifted within him, letting go of the darkness and latching onto the light there. He hadn't done it for Odin. He'd done it for two boys who had once been brothers, for a mother who had loved them with every inch of herself until she had given her last breath, for the king he had always wanted to be and the monster he had become instead. It wasn't redemption. It wasn't revenge. It was _love. _

He choked, blood catching in his throat. He looked at Thor and knew it was the last time he would ever get to do so. He closed his eyes.

* * *

Despite all the evidence pointing to the contrary, Loki wasn't dead. He wasn't quite sure why this was but for the moment he was content to be ignorant. While he was breathing however, he wasn't _well. _His chest ached as though he'd been hit with Mjölnir and every breath that swept into his lungs felt like acid but it was there and he was _alive. _

And he was alone. The reassuring presence of Thor had departed, leaving him half dead and stranded on a freezing wasteland. He didn't have the strength to get up and find a way out - he barely had the strength to open his eyes.

For how long he stayed like that, he had no idea, but the stars wheeled overhead more than once before he was disturbed again. He was growing stronger, life returning to frozen limbs with painful slowness but every breath grew easier as his magic continued to do its work. There were voices approaching but he didn't look over - let them think he was dead. This was his chance to get away, to leave behind Loki Laufeyson and become someone new, someone better, and all he had to do was let people believe he'd died on this forsaken rock. Maybe some would honour his memory, knowing what he'd done in his 'final' moments - Thor at least would remember him with something other than hatred.

Hands were on him then, tugging at him as he lay there, limp and unresisting.

"Is he dead?" A voice asked from further away, warily keeping his distance. The voice was vaguely familiar but Loki had no name to put to it.

"I think so." This one was right beside him. Clearly a fool since he had not even bothered to check for the throbbing pulse that was beating steadily inside his broken open chest. Maybe the blood had been enough to convince the poor fool. "What do you think happened?"

"Are you joking? There was obviously a fight here. No doubt Loki betrayed the Prince, just as he always has done. Thor would have had no choice but to end his life this time.; he deserved what he got."

Rage swelled within Loki, unexpected and hot, but he didn't react. "I don't think that's right. This wound was made by a blade not a hammer - have you ever known the Prince to carry such a weapon? Besides, you know that Thor would never do this. He'd certainly never leave him here to rot unless he had no other choice. We should keep looking."

There was an irritated sigh. "Fine then. But don't expect me to carry that monster back to Asgard. Let the creatures of this world have him."

Loki let the voices withdraw for a moment before he struck, a quick sleeping spell that should grant him the time he needed. He wasn't strong enough for anything else. Unable to stand, he had to half drag himself over to where the guards had fallen, pressing numb fingers to their skin eagerly to sap away some of their energy. It would do them no harm and it would give him the strength needed to get back to Asgard.

Disguises had always been his strength, illusions his main pastime since he was a child. Even Heimdall did not notice as the disgraced Prince marched right past him, intent on reaching the king before anyone took too much notice of him - he was still forced to move slowly and with great care for the aching in his chest. But then he was just a guard in a city with thousands all alike and no one even spared him a glance. He used to enjoy wandering the city in different forms, relishing the way people would not pull away or glare in disgust.

"My lord," he announced himself, bowing his head respectfully. Guards were not expected to go to their knees when they were in their armour and so Loki was spared the humiliation. "We found no trace of Thor or the weapon."

Odin nodded slowly, glancing over his shoulder at him but not truly seeing him. Even if he had been in his own form he was certain that the King still would not have looked at him twice - there was a blankness in his eyes that Loki had only seen on one other person: himself. So he was not as untouched by Frigga's death as he wanted people to believe.

"But," he added after a moment, making sure he sounded hesitant. "We found... a body."

This time Odin really did look at him but it wasn't in surprise, just resignation. "Loki."

It wasn't a question but he nodded none the less, doing his very best not to smile as he took the bait, as Loki had known he would. There was a very long moment when the king didn't react, just stared at him as though trying to read answers in the planes of his face and growing sad when he realised he could not.

"Did he suffer?" Loki almost started at the question, struck by the irony that it was the same question he had asked of mother. Why would Odin even care? Unless it was to gloat, to know that his 'son' had finally received the punishment he deserved for his crimes. He wasn't about to give him that satisfaction.

"The blade pierced his heart. He would have died swiftly." That was almost true - it had been quick. It just hadn't really been death.

Odin sighed gently, as though relieved, and turned to face him fully. He watched him intently for a moment before he nodded. "I thank you for bearing this news."

Loki dipped his head again and spun on his heel, plans already forming in his mind as to how he was going to get Odin alone. He had no illusions of being strong enough to defeat the Allfather in open battle but tricks and hidden daggers would do the job just as well, especially with the king so defeated. Strangely, they had become more alike in light of recent events. Odin had lost almost everything, had hit his lowest, and maybe he would now finally understand what he had done to Loki by ripping his family away from him.

And now, he would take Asgard. He'd take his throne.

* * *

Thor had survived then. And Malekith was gone for good this time and all the nine realms looked to Thor for the king that would rule them all. Pathetic. And yet, here he was, saying that he didn't want the throne, had no desire for it. How different they had become.

But what matter most to him was the way Thor spoke his name, with care and grief, as though he had lost more than an enemy that day and something in his tone caught at Loki's heart and tugged. He kept telling himself that he didn't care, that it didn't matter - _he doesn't matter you fool _- but it was still there, strong and sharp. Thor was mourning for him. Inside his chest the last of his childhood was crying out to tell him the truth, the drop the illusions and show his true face, to embrace his brother without the weight of past crimes.

In Thor's eyes Loki was redeemed.

Letting him walk away in silence hurt more than it should have done but he forced the flickers of loss away, focusing instead on all he still had left to do. After all, he was a king now.

The King of Asgard.

* * *

_Basically, I saw the film on Wednesday but none of my friends have and I have no one to talk about it with so I wrote. I have so many emotions about it and they needed to be expressed. So there you have it. _

_Anyone else think the film is absolutely brilliant?_


End file.
